Water resistant footwear

ABSTRACT

Footwear is disclosed. The footwear includes a shell; a sole positioned on a bottom of the shell; wherein the shell is reconfigurable between: a first configuration in which the shell has an L-shape adapted to enclose a human foot; and a second configuration in which the shell is rolled into a bundle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to footwear and, more particularly, to rollable, packable, post-activity, water resistant and/or waterproof footwear.

Activities such as skiing, hockey, ice skating, and other athletic events often involve specialized and/or uncomfortable footwear. For example, ice skating and hockey require users to wear skates that can include a structured boot on top of a blade and skiing requires a structured boot that connects to a ski. Such footwear can be cumbersome and uncomfortable to walk in. Other activities such as going to bars and/or clubs to dance or simply going on a night out will often result in women wearing high heels. After several hours in heels, their feet hurt, resulting in them either taking their heels off and walking around barefoot or bringing extra footwear such as tennis shoes to slip on.

In all of these instances, a user has three choices—continue to wear the uncomfortable footwear; take the uncomfortable footwear off and risk getting their feet wet, cold, and/or dirty; or carrying other footwear that is bulky and incapable of being carried on the user during the activities, thereby requiring the footwear to be stored, left in a vehicle, or placed somewhere out of the way.

For example, in the case of skiing, a majority of properties are not ski in or ski out and can often require walking stairs to get to the ski lift. Skiers are forced to walk sometimes a far distance in the uncomfortable structured ski boots. Mid-day lunch stops also require walking to the lodge in ski boots, and after a long day on the slopes, skiers have to walk home in those stiff, uncomfortable structured boots. For day skiers, they have to walk through an icy parking lot to get to their vehicle where other footwear is stored or to a locker where they have paid to store other footwear. This results in additional expense and possible injury due to slick conditions.

Accordingly, there is a need for footwear that allows a user to carry the footwear with them and provide a warm, comfortable, and slip-resistant alternative to current prior art footwear.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This problem is addressed by rollable, packable, post activity footwear that provides traction, comfort, and warmth as an on-hand alternative to specialized structured boots such as ski boots, athletic footwear, and high heels or other dress footwear.

According to one aspect of the invention, a footwear includes a shell; a sole positioned on a bottom of the shell; wherein the shell is reconfigurable between: a first configuration in which the shell has an L-shape adapted to enclose a human foot; and a second configuration in which the shell is rolled into a bundle.

According to another aspect of the invention, a footwear includes a shell, the shell having a lower shell portion and an upper shell portion; a sole positioned on a bottom of the lower shell portion; wherein the shell is reconfigurable between: a first configuration in which the shell has an L-shape adapted to enclose a human foot; and a second configuration in which the shell is rolled into a bundle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rollable, packable footwear;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the footwear of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective of the footwear of FIG. 1 ;

FIGS. 4A-4E show the steps of the footwear of FIG. 1 being rolled into a packable roll that can be carried by a user;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a rollable, packable footwear;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the footwear of FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 shows the footwear of FIG. 5 rolled into a packable roll that can be carried by a user; and

FIG. 8 shows the footwear of FIG. 7 secured in a roll by a hook and loop band or strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings wherein identical reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the various views, FIGS. 1-3 depicts an exemplary rollable, packable, post-activity, water resistant and/or waterproof footwear 10. The footwear 10 includes a shell 12 having a lower shell portion 14 and an upper shell portion 16. The upper and lower shell portions 14, 16 may be made of any suitable water resistant and/or waterproof material, for example, a laminate with stretch poly blend or a Gore-Tex material. The shell 12 may also be lined with an insulating layer 18, such as a stretchable fleece to provide warmth and comfort. It should be appreciated that any suitable number and combination of layers may be used.

A non-slip sole 20 is positioned on a bottom or footbed 22 of the lower shell portion 14 of the shell 12. The sole 20 may be permanently attached to the bottom 22 of the lower shell portion 14 or detachable. The sole 20 provides a thin protective, non-slip surface for the footwear 10 and may be made of any suitable material that allows the sole 20 to be rolled into a packable unit like shown in FIG. 4E. Example materials include rubber, silicone, polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, a layered material such as felt or moleskin, or any suitable combination or materials. In the case of a detachable sole (like that shown in FIG. 5 ), the sole 20 may be a more rigid material that can be carried and/or stored separately in a pocket of a user.

The lower shell portion 14 provides a pocket or envelope for a user's foot to be positioned therein and includes a toe 23 and a heel 24. The upper shell portion 16 is connected to the lower shell portion 14 and wraps around a user's ankle and/or lower leg. For example, the upper shell portion 16 may be hinged to the lower shell portion 14 at the heel 24 of the footwear 10, see FIGS. 4B and 4C. A bottom edge 27 of the upper shell portion 16 may also be connected to an upper band 36 of the lower shell portion 14 using hook and loop fasteners 26 or other suitable connection devices.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4B, the upper shell portion 16 includes two end flaps 30, 32 and a central back portion 34. The back portion 34 is connected to the heel 24 and the end flaps 30 and 32 wrap around a user's ankle and/or leg and are secured together to envelope the user's ankle and/or leg. The end flaps 30, 32 may be secured together using a cinch cord 38 or other suitable securing means such as hook and loop fasteners. As illustrated, the cinch cord 38 is connected to end flap 30 and extends through eyelets 40 positioned in the end flap 32 and a cord lock 42. The end flaps 30, 32 are tightened around the user's ankle and/or leg by pulling on the cinch cord until a desired tightness is achieved. The cord lock 42 maintains the desired tightness by preventing the cinch cord 38 from withdrawing from the eyelets 40. The cord lock 42 may be disengaged to allow the cinch cord 38 to withdraw and allow the user to remove his/her foot from the footwear.

The upper shell portion 16 further includes a comfort band 44 along a top edge 46 of the upper shell portion 16 and a strap 47 positioned along the back portion 34. The comfort band 44 may be made of any suitable material, such as fleece, to provide comfort to a user around the user's leg. A first end 48 of the strap 47 is connected to the upper shell portion 16 at the comfort band 44 and extends down the back portion 34 towards the heel 24. A second end 50 of the strap 47 may be removably connected to the back portion 34 by hook and loop fasteners, a snap, a button, or any other suitable type of fastener 49 to move the strap 47 from a stowed position, FIG. 3 , to an unstowed position, FIG. 4B. Suitable materials for the strap include MIL-SPEC Polyester or any other suitable material for providing a durable strap.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4E, the footwear 10 is reconfigurable between a use configuration, FIG. 4A, and stowable and/or packable configuration, FIG. 4E. This is done by loosening and disconnecting the cinch cord 38 that secures the end flaps 30, 32 together. In the case of hook and loop fasteners, simply separating the hook and loop fasteners. With the end flaps 30, 32 released, the upper shell portion 16 is unwrapped, FIG. 4B, and the second end 50 of the strap 47 disconnected from the upper shell portion 16 and moved to the unstowed position. The upper shell portion 16 is then folded down and around the sole 20, FIG. 4C, and the lower shell portion 14 is pushed down to a flatter configuration, FIGS. 4C-4D. The footwear 10 is then rolled from toe 23 to heal 24, FIG. 4D. The strap 47 is then wrapped around the rolled footwear 10, FIGS. 4D-4E, and secured therearound by a fastener such as hook and loop fasteners, snap, button, or the like. The term reconfigurable refers to the combination of material composition, material thickness, and material flexibility being such that the footwear 10 can move between the use configuration and the stowable configuration by hand without tools.

Referring to FIG. 5 , an exemplary rollable, packable, post-activity, water resistant and/or waterproof footwear 100 is shown. The footwear 100 includes a shell 112, a comfort sole 114 on a bottom of the shell 112, a non-slip sole 116 positioned over the comfort sole 114, a hook and loop band and/or strap 118 around a top of the shell 112 to secure the shell 112 around a leg of a user, and a hook and loop band and/or strap 120 around an ankle portion of the shell 112 to tighten the shell around a user's ankle.

The shell 112 is a soft shell and may be made of any suitable water resistant and/or waterproof material, for example, a Gore-Tex material. The shell 112 may also be made of multiple thin layers to provide warmth, for example, a two-layer shell may include a waterproof outer layer 124 and an inner insulating comfort layer 126, see FIG. 5 . A three-layer shell may include a polyester outer shell first layer 128, a waterproof second layer 130, and an insulating and/or comfort third inner layer 132, see FIG. 6 . Any suitable materials, such as fleece, may be used as the insulating and/or comfort layer. It should be appreciated that any suitable number and combination of layers may be used. Like footwear 10, the shell 112 includes a lower shell portion 113 and an upper shell portion 115. Unlike footwear 10, the lower and upper shell portions 113, 115 do not separate and instead form a continuous shell.

The comfort sole 114 is designed to provide the user with a padded foot bed for comfort when walking. The sole 114 may be of any suitable material that provides cushioning, is flexible, and rollable to allow the footwear 100 to be rolled, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8 . For example, the sole 114 may be a polyurethane foam, a viscoelastic polyurethane foam, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, and Poron to name a few. The sole 114 may also be a layered material such as felt or moleskin.

The non-slip sole 116 covers the comfort sole 114 and may be detachable, FIG. 5 , or permanently attached to the comfort sole 114, FIG. 6 . The non-slip sole 116 provides a thin protective, non-slip, surface for the footwear 100 and may be made of any suitable material that allows the sole 116 to be rolled into a packable unit like shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 . Example materials include rubber, silicone, polyurethane, and thermoplastic polyurethane. In the case of a detachable sole 116, the sole 116 may be a more rigid material that can be carried and/or stored separately in a pocket of a user.

Referring to FIG. 6 , a pocket 122 is positioned on a rear of the footwear 100. The pocket 122 houses a cover 125 and other accessories such as a hook and loop band and/or strap to cover the footwear 100 and secure the footwear 100 in a rolled state, FIGS. 7 and 8 . Alternatively, band 118 may be used to secure the footwear 100 in the rolled state as shown in FIG. 8 . The cover 125 may be made of a thin polyester and provides a protective cover over the sole 116 of the footwear 100 as it is being rolled up for transport. The cover 125 prevents dirt from the sole 116 from soiling the shell 112 or anything else the sole 116 may touch during transport.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 , the entire shoe is rolled from the toe to the top of the shell 112. As shown, hook and loop strap 118 is used to wrap around and tighten the footwear into a compact roll for transport by clipping onto a ski boot, carrying in a purse or athletic bag, or in a pocket.

The following discussion will be specific to skiing; however, it should be appreciated that this is just one example of an activity and is being limited to one example for clarity. In use, the footwear 100 is carried with the skier (for example, attached and/or clipped to a ski boot under ski pants or inside jacket or pocket) and is available for the skier to change into as soon as they hit the bottom of the slopes, thereby providing an immediate, slip-resistant, warm, and comfortable footwear for walking to/from ski lifts as opposed to walking between lifts, around the ski resort, or back to the ski house in uncomfortable boots.

In the case of other activities such as hockey and basketball, athletes can change into the footwear 100 after games to wear around the rink, arena, or court while preserving athletic shoes for game wear and not taking up space in sports bags. Women can carry the footwear in a purse or jacket pocket to wear home after a night of dancing in heels. Additionally, college students and others who wear fun shoes out to parties need a comfortable shoe to walk home in from the bar or party as an alternative to high heels or sandals and can be packed in a small purse or jacket pocket.

The footwear 100 is machine washable and may be available in multiple colors and designs to appeal to individual styles. In the case of the detachable sole 116, the sole 114 could be customized with a symbol or writing that would show through a semi-transparent or transparent sole 116. Further, raised symbols and/or writing may be molded into the sole 116 to allow a user to leave imprints in snow, dirt, mud, etc.

The foregoing has described footwear. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A footwear, comprising: a shell; a sole positioned on a bottom of the shell; wherein the shell is reconfigurable between: a first configuration in which the shell has an L-shape adapted to enclose a human foot; and a second configuration in which the shell is rolled into a bundle.
 2. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the shell includes an upper shell portion and a lower shell portion.
 3. The footwear of claim 2, wherein the upper shell portion includes first and second end flaps and a central back portion, the central back portion interconnecting the first and second end flaps.
 4. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper shell portion includes: a first end flap; a second end flap; a central back portion positioned between and interconnecting the first and second end flaps; and a strap positioned along the central back portion.
 5. The footwear of claim 4, wherein a first end of the strap is connected to a top edge of the central back portion and a second end of the strap is removably connected to the central back portion at a location between the top edge and a heel of the footwear.
 6. The footwear of claim 2, wherein the upper shell portion is hingedly connected to the lower shell portion at a heel of the footwear.
 7. The footwear of claim 2, wherein a bottom edge of the upper shell portion is removably connected to an upper band of the lower shell portion.
 8. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the sole is removable from the bottom of the shell.
 9. The footwear of claim 1, wherein a pocket is positioned on a rear of the shell, the pocket being configured to store accessories therein.
 10. A footwear, comprising: a shell, the shell having a lower shell portion and an upper shell portion; a sole positioned on a bottom of the lower shell portion; wherein the shell is reconfigurable between: a first configuration in which the shell has an L-shape adapted to enclose a human foot; and a second configuration in which the shell is rolled into a bundle.
 11. The footwear of claim 10, wherein the upper shell portion includes a first end flap connected to a first side of a central back portion and a second end flap connected to an opposing second side of the central back portion, the central back portion interconnecting the first and second end flaps.
 12. The footwear of claim 10, further including a strap connected to the upper shell portion, the strap having a first end connected to a top edge of the upper shell portion and a second end removably connected to the upper shell portion between the upper edge and a heel of the footwear.
 13. The footwear of claim 10, wherein the upper shell portion is hingedly connected to the lower shell portion at a heel of the footwear.
 14. The footwear of claim 10, wherein a bottom edge of the upper shell portion is removably connected to an upper band of the lower shell portion.
 15. A method of reconfiguring the footwear of claim 1 between the first configuration and the second configuration, the method including the steps of: from the first configuration, rolling the footwear from a toe of the footwear to a heel of the footwear; and wrapping a strap around the footwear to maintain the footwear in the second configuration.
 16. A method of reconfiguring the footwear of claim 1 between the first configuration and the second configuration, the method including the steps of: from the first configuration, unwrapping an upper shell portion of the shell; disconnecting a second end of a strap from the upper shell portion of the shell; folding down the upper shell portion and positioning the upper shell portion around the sole; rolling the footwear from a toe to a heel of the footwear; and wrapping the strap around the footwear to maintain the footwear in the second configuration.
 17. A method of reconfiguring the footwear of claim 6 between the first configuration and the second configuration, the method including the steps of: from the first configuration, disconnecting a first end flap of the upper shell portion from a second end flap of the upper shell portion; disconnecting a second end of a strap from the upper shell portion; unwrapping the upper shell portion; folding down the upper shell portion and positioning the upper shell portion around the sole; rolling the footwear from a toe to a heel of the footwear; and wrapping the strap around the footwear to maintain the footwear in the second configuration. 